Get into the spirit of Halloween with a themed selection of three top picks that include an online event, a live in-person show, and a new album release.
I Put a Spell on You: The Sanderson Variant – Multi-hyphenate transgender pop sensation and LGBTQ activist Mila Jam joins stars Jay Armstrong Johnson, Allison Robinson, and Amanda Williams Ware, special guests Jonathan Burke, Nick Rashad Burroughs, Gavin Creel, J. Harrison Ghee, Todrick Hall, Robyn Hurder, Eva Noblezada, Heath Saunders, Ahmad Simmons, and Will Swenson, and more favorites from the stage and screen for this year’s annual streaming spooktacular inspired by the cult-classic hit film Hocus Pocus. Presented by Johnson (The Phantom of the Opera; ABC’s Quantico) and produced by Kampfire Films, the bewitching visual album, benefitting Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS, will feature new numbers, larger-than-life performances and choreography, over-the-top costumes and makeup, unmatched production value, and a healthy dose of Broadway.
The online cinematic extravaganza premieres on Thursday, October 28, at 8 pm. Live chat will be available during the stream’s debut, with on-demand viewing available through 11:59 pm, Monday, November 1. For tickets, priced at $20, go online. Every ticket purchased will help those across the country affected by HIV/AIDS, COVID-19, and other critical illnesses. Company members from the production also are participating in Spookathon, I Put a Spell on You’s first fundraising competition to see who can raise the most for those in need. Click here to donate.
Winnie’s Rock Cauldron Cabaret – Your favorite soul-sucking sirens of Salem, Winifred, Sarah, and Mary Sanderson, will also appear in a brand new live theatrical rock concert at The Green Room 42 on Sunday, October 31, beginning at 7 pm. Bette Midler tribute artist Jennica McCleary, who originated the role of Winifred Sanderson in Orlando, Florida, in the Disney’s Magic Kingdom 2015 production of Hocus Pocus Villain Spelltacular (now a viral video), is thrilled to have conjured this fan-fiction style concert while battling breast cancer, to celebrate everyone’s inner magical badass witch. In an evening filled with music and parodies covering many decades and genres, the Sanderson Sisters will cast a spell that is sure to have you singing, dancing, and laughing yourself to death. Please note that the show might not be appropriate for younger children.
The Green Room 42 is located on the 4th floor of YOTEL, 570 10th Avenue, NYC. For tickets to the 7 pm show, priced from $39-129, click here. In keeping with COVID-19 protocol, all audience members are required to be fully vaccinated to enter the venue; and please remember to park all brooms at the box office.
Goosebumps® The Musical: Phantom of the Auditorium – In celebration of the 78th birthday of author R.L. Stine on October 8, Ghostlight Records is releasing the original nineteen-track studio cast recording of the stage adaptation of his best-selling book. Featuring music and lyrics by Danny Abosch and book and lyrics by John Maclay, the streaming and digital formats will be available on Friday, October 29, just in time for Halloween. The all-star cast includes Krystina Alabado (Mean Girls), Alex Brightman (Beetlejuice), Noah Galvin (Waitress), Sheryl Lee Ralph (Dreamgirls), Will Roland (Be More Chill), and Stephanie Styles (Kiss Me Kate), in addition to a special appearance from Stine himself. The highly anticipated album is produced by Abosch, who also provides arrangements and orchestrations.
Published by Scholastic Inc., Goosebumps was named the world’s bestselling book series of all time in the 2003 Guinness Book of World Records, with more than 400 million English-language books in print, plus international editions in 32 languages. It tells the story of Brooke and Zeke, who are thrilled to be starring in a mysterious show called The Phantom, and not the least bit frightened by the old legend that the play is cursed. But when strange, spooky messages start appearing, and a masked menace starts disrupting rehearsals, they begin to wonder: what if there really is a ghost haunting their school, determined to stop the show? To find out, order the album online.
